Azu's Akatsuki Tale, Chapter 05: Just Go
by KorinaK
Summary: Now that Azumi has joined up with her Aunt, she's forgotten about her creepy encounter with the Akatsuki. But what will happen when disaster strikes, and one of her loved ones is lost?


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters…. etc, etc. If I did, then the Akatsuki would be more of a big player in the story! I hope that readers enjoy Chapter 05. Have fun!

Azu's Akatsuki Tale, Chapter 05: Just Go

And so the months passed quickly from the end of February, to March, to April. I felt no compulsion to go back to Konoha, and had called my father to tell him I would be staying with Grandmother and Aunt Anpan for a while.

Aunt Anpan was a very fun person to be around: She was a patient teacher and never ran out of energy. Under her teaching, I quickly got the hang of the most basic martial arts skills.

If I learned slowly and not very well, it was never Aunt Anpan's fault. I found that my bony, non-muscled body could never become very strong in a "how-much-weight-can-you-lift" kind of context. However, my main advantages were that I was fast and agile. Aunt Anpan saw this in me and taught me techniques more suited to an assassin than a warrior, using my skills to their full potential.

One exercise that we would do was where she would set a room full of "exploding" traps. Of course, they were totally non-lethal, but my goal was to try and make it through the room without setting off any miniature explosions. I got better and better at it as the months progressed, and Aunt Anpan said that I would make an excellent spy or ninja if I continued like this.

Then, one day, the message came.

I was sitting in the kitchen, taking a break. My grandmother was doing okay, and had even had the energy to say hello to me that morning. Aunt Anpan was a post-office checking for letters. I had done well in my lessons, and I felt fairly cheerful.

When she came in the door, I knew something was wrong. Her normally strong, confident pose was gone. Her face was pale, and I realized her legs were shaking.

"Auntie? What's wrong?" I asked, helping her sit. I feared the worst.

"Konoha," she said in a low whisper. "Konoha is under attack. That bastard, Orochimaru…"

Before I had time to react, she grabbed me by my shoulders. Her brown eyes peered in to mine deeply. "Oh, Azu…. Azu, I'm so sorry." Taking a shaky breath, she said, "Your father was very brave. He went out to fight the enemy…and…."

She didn't need to continue. I knew.

The next day, Aunt Anpan left for Konoha. She said that Konoha was completely damaged, though Orochimaru had not succeeded in taking control over it. Before she left, the news came that the Hokage-sama was dead. I didn't want to think about the countless others who must be, too.

I wanted to go with her, wanted to be able to do something to help Konoha. But there was no one to watch over my grandmother otherwise. Someone had to stay, so I did. I sent a prayer up to any God listening to help save everyone that was still alive.

The night after she left, I lay in my bed. Sleep would not come to me easily, and so it was strange, thinking about it later, that I did not hear the footsteps coming.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was calling me, "Oh, Azu…. Azumi-chan?"

I shot out of the bed, and collided with a big wall of black-and-redness. Looking up, I saw the pointed teeth of the shark-man, curled in a decidedly creepy manner.

"You!" I hissed at him, drawing back in to a defensive posture. "What do you want?"

A red-haired man joined him in the door, watching me with calmly narrowed eyes. "What we want is to talk, Azumi-san." Without me saying anything, he came in and sat on a chair. Taking his lead, the blue-skinned man sat down in a chair too.

I sunk back on the bed, still watching them carefully.

"Azumi-san, let me first offer regrets in regard to your father." I hissed at him, hating his cold, dispassionate voice. He didn't even know my father, and had no right to address him like that.

"You didn't even know him!" I spat. "You have no right to"

"Azumi-san, anger will not get you anywhere here. We are proposing a bargain."

"Why would I make a bargain with you"

He cut in again. "If you will not listen, we will leave now. You can fend for yourself, and do whatever you wish. Now, listen.

"We propose this: You need strength, to take vengeance, to help, to do whatever you need to do. Do not argue: I can see it in your eyes. You want to fight against Orochimaru. Now, conveniently, we happen to be willing to take on a trainee in our group. We are against Orochimaru as well. We will train you, and when we deem you ready to leave, you can leave. You will be treated as one of us, and will not be harmed by us."

I couldn't believe it, but I was considering it. "And so you will keep me as long as you wish?"

He answered, "Of course, we will need you to help us with some tasks of our own."

"And what might those be?"

"They will not be disclosed to you until you answer yes or no to my proposal."

I thought about it. "Will I be asked to harm anyone?"

"No, not purposely. We do not have time to waste: Will you come, or not?" He held a hand out to me.

I looked at it suspiciously. He- they- were waiting. These were the people who kidnapped me the first time, obviously fighters of great strength. They were outcasts, wanderining or missing ninja. They were probably dangerous. And I would be leaving my relatives behind. "What about my grandmother?"

"She will be taken care of." He gave me a sharp glance with piercing eyes. "Well?"

I had seconds to decide. This was a cross roads.

Suddenly, a memory sprang in to my head: My father, Gods bless his spirit, singing a lullaby to me when I had refused to sleep around when I was four. The words had been:

_Little hawk_

_never waits before the strike_

_And a warrior_

_never waits before the blow_

_A ninja_

_never stops to think with his knife_

_The wind_

_never stops blowing cold._

_So strike, just strike,_

_and go, just go._

I had loved the melody but hadn't understood the words. When I had gotten older, I had forgotten about it. With just a hint of tears in my eyes, I understood what it meant in an instant.

Taking his hand, I said, "Let's go."


End file.
